Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Trade and Capacity Building
Actions
Trade/Sanitary and Phytosanitary Issues Management
APHIS plays a vital role in ensuring the free flow of agricultural trade. APHIS' efforts include keeping U.S. agricultural industries free from pests and diseases and certifying that the millions of U.S. agricultural and food products shipped to markets abroad meet the importing countries' entry requirements. APHIS makes sure that all imported agricultural products shipped to the United States from abroad meet the Agency's entry requirements to exclude pests and diseases of agriculture.
APHIS International Services -- with personnel stationed overseas and in our headquarters offices in Riverdale, Maryland and Washington, DC -- also focuses on keeping export markets open for American agricultural products by working with VS, PPQ and BRS to eliminate unjustified sanitary or phytosanitary (SPS) barriers.
Supporting International Trade
Trade and Capacity Building Staff
Capacity Building
The International Technical and Regulatory Capacity Building (ITRCB) Center plays a significant role in support of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s mission to protect and promote U.S. agricultural health, regulate genetically engineered organisms, administer the Animal Welfare Act, and carry out wildlife damage management activities. In an increasingly globalized economy, the ITRCB Center specializes in program coordination including technical and regulatory capacity building efforts with U.S. and foreign government counterparts. Programs supporting sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues related to safeguarding of U.S. agriculture from foreign plant pests and animal diseases comprise a significant proportion of ITRCB efforts. Capacity building activities supported by the ITRCB Center occur both in the United States and abroad and are a useful tool in fostering safe agricultural trade and maintaining technical and regulatory relationships with other countries and international organizations.
What Does Capacity Building Look Like? View video of APHIS International Services Plant Health Systems Analysis course
Place an ITRCB Request (e-authentication required)
International Visitor Center
APHIS hosts International Visitors from around the world and provides an introduction to APHIS programs, and facilitates contacts with experts and educational activities. Contact the APHIS International Visitor’s Office for further information on scheduling a visit.
Contact Us
The APHIS Trade Support Staff (TST) is located at our USDA South Building, Washington, D.C.
Partner Trade Agencies & Organizations
An official website of the United States government
